Pather Panchali (1955)

Director:

Satyajit Ray

Writers:

Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay (novel)
Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

22 September 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Sometime in the early years of the century, a boy, Apu, is born to a poor Brahmin family in a village in Bengal...

Plot Keywords:

Struggle | Aunt | Stealing | Rural Setting | Hunger

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 7 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Kanu Bannerjee	...	Harihar Ray
Karuna Bannerjee	...	Sarbojaya Ray
Subir Bannerjee	...	Apu
Uma Das Gupta	...	Durga
Chunibala Devi	...	Indir Thakrun
Runki Banerjee	...	Little Durga
Reba Devi	...	Seja Thakrun
Aparna Devi	...	Nilmoni's wife
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Haren Banerjee	...	Chinibas, Sweet-seller
Tulsi Chakraborty	...	Prasanna, school teacher
Nibhanani Devi	...	Dasi Thakurun
Rama Gangopadhaya	...	Ranu Mookerjee
Roma Ganguli	...	Roma
Binoy Mukherjee	...	Baidyanath Majumdar
Harimohan Nag	...	Doctor
Kshirod Roy	...	Priest

Directed by
Satyajit Ray

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay		novel
Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay		screenplay
Satyajit Ray		writer

Original Music by
Ravi Shankar

Cinematography by
Subrata Mitra

Film Editing by
Dulal Dutta

Production Design by
Bansi Chandragupta

Art Direction by
Bansi Chandragupta

Sound Department
Bhupen Ghosh	....	sound

Production Companies

• Government of West Bengal

Distributors

• Filmmuseum Distributie (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Merchant Ivory Productions (1995) (USA) (theatrical) (restored version)
• Sony Pictures Classics (1995) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Curzon Film Distributors (1957) (UK)
• Divisa Home Video (2004) (Spain) (DVD)
• Edward Harrison (1958) (USA) (subtitled)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Song of the Little Road (International: English title)
Song of the Road
The Lament of the Path
The Saga of the Road

Runtime:

India:122 min (within Bengal) | Argentina:119 min

Country:

India

Language:

Bengali

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Netherlands:AL | Netherlands:AL (re-release) (2008) | UK:U | Argentina:Atp | Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Québec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario)

Company:

Government of West Bengal

Trivia:

Halfway through filming, Ray ran out of funds. The Government of West Bengal loaned him the rest, allowing him to complete the film. This loan is listed in public records at the time as "roads improvement", a nod to the film's translated title.

Quotes:

Harihar Ray: Whatever God does is for the best.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

It's A Long Way to Tipperary

simply wonderful

...it is one of those greatest works of art..so lyrical yet so composed. there is one phrase that Ray has used extensively in his writings; something that his professor use to say when he was studying painting in Shantiniketan: "look at Fujiyama, Fire within and Calm without. There is the symbol of true oriental artist..." i think it best describes Ray's work where he suggests in his cinema enormous reserves of power and feelings which never spill into emotional displays.

the strength and variety of the cinematic craftsmanship in this film can be explored endlessly, but what strikes me the most, is the way his work has confirmed, sustained and nurtured the existence of an art form, western in origin, transplanted and taking root in Indian soil. in a way pather panchali is so 'rooted'. it is so earthy and 'regional' at core and may be thats why its 'international', may be thats why, despite being the product of its time and place it is universal in its appeal. the moods and moments that he creates are simply 'matchless'. so simple, and yet so profound. the Indir Thakuran sequences of the film remain for me the highest, noblest and rare expression of art in Indian films so far (except films by Ghatak and Mrinal Sen) The film induces a kind of contemplation and a sense of wonder, about the truth, individual and privet. almost without you being aware of it it opens windows to the truth that lies within and beyond the boundaries of cinema itself.